Posted 5/15/15

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How to ID Five Common Native Wildflowers

Written by Katherine Anderson
Illustrations by Julie Notarianni

As a child growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I spied native wildflowers on family hikes in the lower Cascades, at camp in the San Juan Islands and on visits to my uncle’s ranch in Eastern Washington’s sagebrush country. Now, as I go about growing flowers on my small organic farm, Marigold and Mint, in the Snoqualmie Valley, I sometimes take breaks to walk in the adjacent forest, finding familiar comfort in the flowers of the understory.

In collaboration with Bridget McNassar, manager of the Native Plant Nursery at my family’s Oxbow Organic Farm and Education Center, I picked five favorites that span early spring through late summer. There are two from each side of the state: western trillium and red columbine from west of the Cascades; and bitterroot and orange globemallow, which are native to Eastern Washington. Common camas makes itself at home on both sides.

As you wander through Washington’s forests, meadows and steppes, keep your eyes trained low to the ground. Our native wildflowers are sometimes tiny beauties, but en masse can put on a spectacular color show. And even if you aren’t getting out of the city, look for Northwestern natives in wooded city parks and along ravines. I can’t think of a more pure pleasure than stumbling upon a large patch of trillium while out for a spring run.

Western Trillium

TRILLIUM OVATUM

The parts are in 3’s: 3 green sepals, 3 white petals, 3 large ovate leaves on one solitary erect stem.

Common Camas

Found in seasonally wet meadows and prairies throughout the state, low to high elevations.

Drifts of blue when they are in bloom.

An important food source for many Native Americans; bulbs were harvested in large numbers soon after flowering (not to be confused with death camas, which is white flowered and highly toxic, often growing in the same habitat). Eating requires a long cooking period to become digestible, usually steaming.

Katherine Anderson

Katherine Anderson, a Seattle native, broke ground on her Snoqualmie Valley flower farm, Marigold and Mint, in 2008. She owns a shop of the same name in the Melrose Market on Capitol Hill, and is also co-owner of the flower shop, retail market and restaurant, The London Plane, in Pioneer Square.

Julie Notarianni

Julie Notarianni is an art director, graphic designer and illustrator. She’s created award-winning visuals for The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, Microsoft, Museum of History and Industry, and Yes! Magazine to name a few.

Related Perspectives — Ampersand

Ampersand celebrates people and place in the Pacific Northwest. It explores the scientific and the quirky found in our natural and built environments. It highlights the art, ideas and stories that elevate our region.

Ampersand is dedicated to the curious and the creative, to the thinkers and the doers, and to all those who love this maddeningly beautiful place we call home.

Our third issue is titled Breaking Trail. It’s our spotlight on five people and projects we think are breaking trail to sustain our region. One such idea is an up-and-coming wood product called cross-laminated timber, which makes use of smaller diameter logs and low-quality wood.

Ampersand LIVE was an incredible evening. From Jehan’s incredulous retelling of the time she ran from lightning towards the jaws of a Grizzly bear, to Paul’s intimate war portraits of iconic creatures threatened by climate change, to Jade’s heartrending dance, to Okanomode’s high notes, to Bill’s recipe for “goo,” there were so many unforgettable and thought-provoking moments—all punctuated by gorgeous harmonies from The Westerlies. It was a night filled with gratitude, amazement, love and hope for our Pacific Northwest.